Agent not ruling out Evidence Makgopa's Pirates departure despite Bafana Bafana forward renewing his Buccaneers contract amid reported interest from England

Evidence Makgopa is reportedly being linked with a move to English Championship side Bristol City, with his agent Paul Mitchell convinced the striker would thrive in England’s second tier. 

This comes after Makgopa featured in two AFCON finals under Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, further underscoring his importance to the Belgian tactician.

 At club level, the Orlando Pirates forward has registered four goals and three assists in 18 appearances across all competitions this season. 

Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has also shown strong faith in Makgopa, consistently backing him as a key figure in his squad.

“It is no secret that Makgopa was already wanted by European clubs when he left Baroka but the clubs could not agree with him, he ended up at Pirates,” Mitchell told Isolezwe. 

“With the transfer window open, it is to be expected that the best players will be linked with greener pastures.   

“Makgopa is one of the best players and his numbers prove it but the most important thing is that he has just renewed his contract with Pirates.   

“With this I am not saying that nothing will happen or that there is a hidden move but the truth is that we are all in the same situation where we do not know what will happen when we wake up tomorrow," added the respected agent.    

“Teams always try when the transfer window opens so it is difficult to be sure what will happen but the key lies with the owners [of the player] which is Pirates in this case.”

Mitchell recently revealed that they turned down offers from North Africa during the last transfer window, as the player is fully focused on moving to Europe.

Makgopa is now back from AFCON where he was with Bafana and scored a goal in three games.

“It’s no secret that before Makgopa went to Pirates, we had two significant offers on the table with a lot of money at the time for Baroka to go overseas, for whatever reason it was rejected, and he went to Pirates,” Mitchell told the SoccerBeat podcast.

“He’s thriving at Orlando Pirates, he has had a decent scoring ratio, and we’ve had interest in him in the last window from North Africa, but it wasn’t what we wanted and what Evidence wanted.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand that when you go to North Africa, one of the biggest things is receiving your money. We’ve been on that route before, where big clubs are not paying players their money," he added.

“So with Europe, I’m hoping through the AFCON he could get a move. He’s offering a lot, and I think he could thrive in the English Championship because he has that work rate and the agility. 

"We are always open, and when we did his new deal with Pirates, it was not a secret that the desire is to go overseas, and if the offer is right, I’m sure they will facilitate the move."

Should Makgopa leave Pirates, Ouaddou will be left with the likes of Nkosiklhona Ndaba, Tshegofatso Mabasa, Boitumelo Radiopane and Sifiso Luthuli as outright strikers.

However, Ouaddou appears not to have faith in Mabasa and Gilberto who is out on loan at Angolan giants Petro Atletico.

Former Kaizer Chiefs forward Phumlani Mkhize feels it would be a "best move" if Mabasa goes to Pirates' rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

 "Mabasa is a player I still need at Pirates, but the coach believes otherwise," Mkhize told KickOff. 

"So a move to Kaizer Chiefs would be the best move of his football career. Kaizer Chiefs need a target man and a finisher like Mabasa upfront.   

"I see Flavio Da Silva, but the thing is, he lacks that thing that Kaizer Chiefs supporters are expecting from a Kaizer Chiefs striker. But Mabasa will fit in perfectly at Kaizer Chiefs because the football they are playing does not differ that much from the one Pirates are playing.    

"Mabasa would be the best signing for Chiefs because he's got goals in him and Chiefs need goals. He is a hardworking striker. His awareness in the box is second to none," added the retired footballer.    

"He knows exactly where the goals are, and he's good at one-on-ones. Pirates' loss would be Kaizer Chiefs' gain if he happens to go there.   

"He is a true striker, hence there are always questions around his exclusion from the national team. Mabasa can score and provide assists."